This perfume is incandescent – simply one of the best things we’ve smelled all year …
Every now and then, a new scent stops us in our tracks. It happens more rarely than you’d think. Lots of perfumes smell anodyne, unmemorable; lots more are seriously overpriced. At a time when perfume is more expensive than ever, we need to take time choosing a new one and be discerning; after all, who can splash a few hundred euro on a bottle of something they don’t adore? While body sprays are increasingly popular since they cost far less, nothing replaces a meticulously crafted eau de parfum if you want any kind of impact and longevity.
Since joining Hermès in 2014, master perfumer Christine Nagel has created some dazzling scents, from Twilly to the glorious recent Barénia. And her hot new spin on classic men’s scent Terre d’Hermès is attention-grabbing for all the right reasons. It’s an early contender for the best of 2025.
The original Terre d’Hermès by Nagel’s predecessor, the legendary Jean-Claude Ellena, has been a bestseller for men since launching in 2006. So Nagel’s new Terre Intense is technically a “flanker” or a spinoff. Flankers are often (though not always) pale imitations, falling short of the original.
But Nagel’s Terre d’Hermès Intense makes an absolute independent statement of its own. In many ways, it’s polar opposite – rich and smouldering where Ellena’s Terre is light and airy. The new Intense certainly fits with the current trend for power perfumes: scents that have resonance and sillage. When you’re spending a lot on a scent, you want to know you’re wearing it: one spray and it’s there for the day. Many brands are wise to this – look at recent “extraits” and “intense” eaux de parfums from Byredo and Maison Francis Kurkdjian to Memo Paris and Matiere Premiere. They’re the scent equivalent of power shoulders being back in fashion.
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Paper artwork for Hermes by @ambernoriko
Terre d’Hermès Intense captures a furnace of fiery ideas: “I wanted to express a different facet of the earth: the raging heat of an underground fire rising forcefully to the surface,” explains Nagel.
How does that translate? It has an instant hit that’s as intoxicating as your first espresso of the morning. It’s a bit smokey, spicy with a warmth that seems to develop on your skin. For me, it has the burning intensity of hot wood, like when you inhale in a sauna, mixed with the soft bitter sweetness of liquorice and coffee bean. Imagine sipping a stomach-warming liqueur by the smouldering coals of a bonfire, and you’re somewhere close. It stays creamy and delicious on your skin thanks to the brightness of bergamot, retaining a smooth residual warmth. Simply intoxicating.
The most important thing, in my opinion, is not to leave this just for men. You don’t have to buy into the idea of “man’s inner fire” to love this full-bodied fragrance. Yes, it’s a banging scent for men, but far too good not to wear it yourself, too. Remember the Ready Brek ad with the glowing outlines? That’s what this makes me think of – it radiates.
Secondly, it’s worth knowing that at €104 for 50ml or €142 for 100ml, this represents excellent value for money. If you consider that the latest eau de cologne from Jo Malone London is €98 for 50ml or €140 for 100ml, it becomes clear. An eau de cologne is diluted, with a much lower fragrance concentration (typically containing between four and six per cent of concentrate), while an eau de parfum is usually 15 to 20 per cent, and an “Intense” edp even higher. Compare Terre to other stratospherically priced designer scents, and you’ll realise what a glowing gem this is. You’re getting a LOT of bang for your buck – and the bottle is refillable, too. I urge you to go and smell this volcanic scent for yourself at the Hermès boutique in Brown Thomas on Grafton Street in Dublin. Hot stuff, indeed …
Need To Know: Terre d’Hermès Intense, from €104, is available at www.hermes.com
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